Find him
by The-trio-until-the-very-end
Summary: One shot. "Just hold on ok. Please Steve, for me." Steve gives Peggy his coordinates and the search party goes out leaving Peggy back at base and worried about the future. Will they get their dance after all?


**another steggy story bc I am steggy trash**

Also- Listen to Work Song by Hozier and try not to think of this ship.

ENJOY!

* * *

She asked for his coordinates. Begged for them. Now was not going to be the first time Steve Rogers let Peggy Carter down. There was static on the other end for a second and she feared she had lost him. Then his voice came through, soft and deep like he was back in school, half whispering the answer not knowing if it was right or not. Peggy searched for a pen. And suddenly Colonel Phillips was beside her, pen and paper in hand scribbling Steve's answer down and running out of the room. It was just the two of them now. It was quiet enough to hear Steve breath on the other end. Peggy found this reassuring. They were so close.

"Steve we're coming."

"Peggy there isn't enough time."

"Just hold on ok. Please Steve, for me."

"Peggy-"

There was a moment of static then nothing.

"Steve?

* * *

Peggy had walked in the same tight circle around the office for what she sure was miles. But she could not sit still. She had not heard anything from the search crew and she did not believe in the 'no news is good news' saying at this moment. People kept checking in on her, asking if she needed anything, heard anything. Peggy answered no to both every time.

She needed Steve safe and only wanted to hear his voice.

Peggy did not want to think about what she was going to do if he did not come back. She would go back to work of course, doing whatever was needed. Like before. She would have drinks with Howard and he would talk about how he can't sleep at night and Colonel Phillips would clear his throat every time Steve's name was said. They would suffer with her, she was not alone. He had fans who adored him, they would morn as a nation.

Peggy saw her reflection in the dark window. She wiped her eyes. Her lipstick was faded and her hair had become uncurled. She laughed in spite of the situation. "A tad bit unprofessional aren't we Margret?" she asked herself. There was a knock on the door. Peggy sniffled once more, "Come in."

It was Howard. He was grinning ear to ear. "Peg."

Peggy's heart skipped a beat, she watched as Howard formed the next sentence. He was already past the threshold and raced towards her "We found him. We did it." He said as he reached Peggy and pulled her into a hug.

She did not realize she was holding her breath until it came out in a sob like sign into his shoulder. "Howard" she breathed out. "Thank you."

Howard separated from the hug first, holding both of Peggy's shaking hands in his own he smiled again. Peggy smiled back at him. "He's asking for you."

* * *

Steve hurt all over. And he was so cold. He worried he would never get feeling back in all his limbs. And yet just the thought of still being alive was enough to keep him from complaining. Doctors had hooked him up machines the second he arrived and one would come in every so often to check on him. They had all hounded him when they had pulled him out of the ship, asking if he was ok. His voice was almost gone and cracked when he first talked. Then there was the hugging. Steve had never had so many hugs from grown men before. When they arrived back at base, after the doctors had announced he would make a full recovery, then he asked what had been on his mind since landing in the ocean.

They were guiding him to a room, Howard was on his right helping him walk while retelling the story of how they found Steve to the small mob around them. Steve looked around once they stopped at his room. He saw the relived faces of so many people and yet one was lacking.

"Howard?" Steve asked as the nurse opened the door. They walked inside and the door, thankfully, shut behind them.

"Yes my man?" Howard could not stop smiling. Steve had never seen him smile like that.

"Where's Peggy?"

He tried not to be upset when she was not on the rescue mission, Colonel Phillip probably forced her to stay behind yet he expected her to be the first to run to the truck when it arrived. Now she was not even among the crowd clapping and cheering of his return. He thought back to the kiss. It said so much yet he hoped he would have the chance to talk about it. Howard chucked and guided Steve to the bed. Steve sat back and the nurse wasted no time injecting a needle into his forearm he could not even feel. He realized how tired he was, but he had to see Peggy first. Howard looked at the wooded chair beside the bed like he was going to sit, but changed his mind and stayed standing.

"Well I don't think anyone has told her about your arrive yet. Otherwise she'd be here." With that Howard, grinning, patted his shoulder and left the room.

The nurse left minutes later and Steve found himself dosing off to sleep. He heard the door open but kept his eyes shut, hoping the doctor's questions could wait until later. But when he did not feel any presence close to him, or the machines around him, he slowly opened his eyes. Though the room was dark, there was just enough light to see the figure standing near the door.

"Peggy?"

The figure jumped a bit. "I hope I didn't wake you?" He did not know if he would ever hear that accent again.

Steve shook his head before realizing she probably could not see that. "You can turn on the light there if you want."

She did. When Steve's eyes readjusted he looked back at the figure. Peggy Carter stood with her hand still on the switch so close yet so far away. He had never seen her looking more lovely.

"Steve." Her voice cracked and he wondered what she had put herself through while everyone was gone.

"Howard found you?" He felt awkward. Trapped in a bed and not being able to find the right words.

"Oh yes, thankfully. No one had informed me of anything." She walked towards him and guided herself into the chair. Steve was relived she had not purposely been neglecting the homecoming.

"You should have seen him, telling that story like he was the one who actually reached into the water and pulled me out with one hand."

"I'm sure that will impress the ladies for years to come." Peggy's chair seemed closer to the bed then it was originally. She could have touched the sheets or reached and brushed Steve's hair out of his face and yet her hands remained in her lap.

"Would it impress you?" Steve could have kicked himself for asking such a stupid question at a time like this. He knew the answer.

Peggy, however thought the question was amusing. "He's not the hero I'm interested in."

"Good to know."

Steve was trying to think of something better to say when the door opened. This time it was a doctor. Peggy stood when he walked in, and Steve leaned away.

"Captain Rogers, Agent Carter," The doctor, Doctor Hale Steve remembers, said in greeting as he checked the monitors. "I'm sorry but the Captain really needs his rest. I'm sure you do too Agent." He winked then was gone from the room.

Peggy nodded, and Steve got the image of her as a schoolgirl being caught out after curfew. She was about to turn and leave when she turned to Steve instead. She looked so confident as she leaned close and kissed him on the cheek. She pulled away fast, even though they were alone and Steve wanted to pull her close again, and straightened back up.

"Goodnight Steve, I'm- " She faded off and Steve took this chance to speak up.

"When I get released I'm going to ask for a day off and I was wondering if you wanted to go dancing?" He rushed his words and he suddenly became aware of how the position he was in made it both weird and hard to try to have a serious talk to someone standing at full height. He would always be intimidated by Peggy Carter.

Peggy licked her lips and gave a tight nod. "I'd really enjoy that."

"We'll have the band play something slow."

Peggy smiled and in that moment he remembered when he was crashing, how he was perfectly content with her voice being the last one he ever heard and her photo, jammed in his compass, being the last thing he ever saw. Steve felt warmer just looking at her smile.

* * *

I'm posting this at 2am so hopefully it all makes sense and there's not too many errors...

**made my own headcanon that When Howard came out to the waiting room to announce that Anthony Stark had arrived in the world Peggy was reminded of this night because that was the second, and last, time she would see him smile that big. ok goodnight.


End file.
